University of Virginia Library

Student Council Debates Legitimacy
Of Parties For Upcoming Election

By JIM MASSEY

A heated debate over the status of
coalitions and parties on the ballot for
the upcoming Student Council elections
ending in a one person walkout and a
resolution aimed at limiting the powers of
the Director of Housing highlighted the
Student Council meeting held last week.

The controversial motion, raised by
Larry Sabato, second year college
representative, stated that "no party or
group label be placed on the ballot."

Chris Kerr, fourth year college
representative, stated that "Student
Council members are forming election
procedures and rules with a bias against
parties and coalitions." Then, calling for a
quorum count, he left the room before
the motion could be voted on.

Difficulties resulted when the
objection was raised that when the person
calling for the quorum was not present,
the motion became invalid.

Student Council members reached an
agreement to table the motion
indefinitely and, after a fifteen minute
break, members returned, Mr. Kerr
inclusive, and the meeting resumed.

A resolution, proposed by Allen
Barringer, Law School representative,
requesting that the "University
Committee on Housing specifically
delineate the jurisdiction of the Director
of Housing-" in matters of student
housing was passed unanimously by
Council.

Mr. Barringer stated that Director of
Housing Ralph Main is issuing rules which
dormitory counselors had not agreed to
enforce when they joined the resident
staff. Compounding this dubious
situation, "Mr. Main will not put any of
these rules in writing. All the new rules
are given orally," Mr. Barringer stated.

A meeting with General Assembly
Representative Pete Giesen (R-Staunton),
held last week, which attempted to give
Mr. Giesen an "empathetic
understanding" of the students' position
on expansion at the University was
termed "very successful" by Council
Vice-President Peter Gillespie. Mr.
Gillespie reported that Mr. Giesen, who is
a member of the Appropriations
Committee, also invited Mr. Gillespie to
appear before the Appropriations
Hearings to be held in January at the
State Capitol.

A report from Future of the
University Committee member Larry
Sabato noted that committee member
Theodore Caplow, chairman of the
department of sociology, is carrying out a
state wide survey on the general